Overhead switch.



'No. 695,277. Patented; Mar. 11,1902.

w. L. CLARK,

OVERHEAD SWITCH.

(Application filed Aug. 8, 1901.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shed:

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aApplication filed Alig. s. 1901. (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Mar. ll, I902.

W. L. CLARK.

OVERHEAD SWITCH.

(Applic ation filed Aug. 8, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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No. 695,277. Patented Mar. ll, I902. w. L. CLARK. OVERHEAD SWITCH.

(Application filed Aug. 6, 1901.

5 S,heet heat 4- (No Mo MN MW PYMAW W/W I m. 695,277. Patented Mar. u,I902. w. L. CLARK.

OVERHEAD SWITCH.

(Application filed. Aug. 8, 1901.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

XVALTER ll. CLARK, OE EVERETT, D'IASSAOIIUSETTS.

OVERHEAD SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,277, dated March 11, 1902.

Application filed August $1901. erial No. 71,288. (No model.)

the branch rails or tracks leading to different sections of the buildingby means of a suitable switch device which is manually operated toconnect the main rail with the branch rails when it is desired todeflect a carrier or traveler from the main rail to any branch rail. Itsometimes happens that after a carrier has passed the switch and theswitch has been thrown to open the track or rail onto which the carrierhas been deflected the said carrier runs back on its rail toward theopen switch and unless some means are employed to either stop thecarrier or to throw the switch to close the rail on which said carrieris traveling said carrier will run off the rail and drop through theswitch.

It is one of the objects of my present invention to provide a switchmechanism which may be manually operated, as usual, to make the mainrail continuous or to connect the main rail to any one of a number ofbranch rails and which may be also automatically operated by a carrieror traveler moving toward an open switch on any one of said branch railsto connect said rail with the main rail or to close said switch to therailon which the carrier is traveling, thus preventing the carrier ortravelerfrom dropping through the switch.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the switch that theswitch-point will be properly alined with either rail even though therails themselves may become twisted or warped; and still another objectis to provide a switch of such a character that it may be suspended anydesired distance from the ceiling, whereby the track may be placed atany elevation deemed most advantagcous.

With these objects in view my invention comprises a suitable suspendedframe having integral therewith a plurality of rail-sections, said framebeing so constructed that the rails of the track may be bolted orotherwise connected thereto in alinement with the rail-sections. Asuitable switchtongue is pivoted to the frame and adapted to connect oneof therail-sections or that rail-section connected to the main framewith either of Since the switch in its opthe rail-sections. erativepositions is brought to aline with the rail -sections which are integralwith the frame instead of the rail ends, it will be seen that thewarping or twisting of the rails will not throw the switch out ofalinement. The frame has integral therewith offset lugs orhangersupports to which the suspenders or hangers which support thedevice are air tached, and since these suspenders or hangers areseparate from the switch structure they may be longer or shorter,according to the elevation at which it is desired to place the trackstructure. The switches being thus independent from the hangers maybeplaced at any elevation by employing hangers of the proper length. Toprevent a carrier from falling through an open switch,'I have pro videdmechanism which is automatically operated by a car traveling toward anopen switch and which when operated closes the switch to the track onwhich the carrier is traveling, whereby said carrier will pass throughthe switch onto the main track or rail. Anysuitable mechanism may beemployed to accomplish this, but I prefer to employa trip or otherdevice adapted to be operated by a carrier traveling toward the switch,which trip device is suitably connected to a pivoted switch-tongue, theconstruction being such that when a carrier is traveling toward an openswitch the trip device is operated to throw the switch-tongue intoalinement with the rail on which the carrier is traveling to therebyclose the switch to said rail or track. Any carrier or travelertherefore which is running back toward the switch is automaticallydirected on the main rail and is prevented from dropping through an openswitch.

Various other features of my invention will be hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im proved switch. Fig. 2 is also aperspective view looking at the switch from the opposite direction fromFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan View. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the tripdevices. Fig. 5 is a modification. Fig. 6 is a detail to be hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 7 is a,sect1on on line a: 00, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is adetail of the switch-tongue pivot, and Fig. 9 shows a modification.

In the drawings, 3 designatesthe main rail, and 4and 5 designate branchrails, which are adapted to be connected to the main rail 3 bymyimproved switch mechanism. As illustrated in the drawings, the rail 4forms aleads from a straight main track, as illus-- trated, forobviously the invention is equally applicable to the form of switchwherein both the rails 4 and 5 diverge from the main rail. I havetherefore hereinafter used the term branch rail or branch track in thebroader sense, as meaning one of two or more tracks which diverge fromeach other, but which are adapted to be connected independently with asingle track by a suitable switch mechanism.

My improved switch device comprises a two-part frame which supports theswitchtongue and to which the ends of the rails 3, 4, and 5 are adaptedto be secured in some suitable way, said frame beingillustrated ascomprising a shoe member 6, to which two of the rails are secured, and abranch member 6, spaced from the shoe 6 to allow the depending portionof the carrier to pass between said members.

In Figs. 1 to 8,,inclusive, Ihave shown what is commonly known as a No.1 switch that is, a switch wherein the shoe member 6 of the switch-frameis in alinement with and connects the straight rails 3 and 4, and thediverging rail 5 is connected to the branch member 6 of the frame, andin Fig. 9 I have I illustrated my invention embodied in what is commonlycalled a No. 2 switch --that is, one-in which the shoe member is made todiverge from the straight line andconnects the main rail 3 with thediverging branch rail 5,

while the rail 4, which is in alinement with rail 3, is connected to thebranch member of the frame. Referring to the first embodimentof myinvention-that is, the No. 1 switch-it will be seen that the shoe member6 ofthe switch-frameis straight and has the alined rails 3 and 4connected thereto, while the branch member 6. has the branch rail 5connected thereto by some suitable means, said member being rigidlysecured to the shoe 6 by some suitable connection adapts ed to admit ofthe passage of the carrier from the main rail 3 to the branch rail 4,such connection being shown as the inverted-U- shaped yoke or support14, which is preferably integral with and forms part of the frame. Thelower ends of the legs of the U- shaped support 14 are offset from therails, as seen at 16, such offset portion providing ample room for thecarrier to pass on either branch rail without coming in contact witheither leg. The shoe 6 is provided at each end with rail-sections 7 and8, which are preferably integral with said frame, the railsection 7alining with the rail 3 and the railsection 8 alining with the rail 4,and the branch portion 6 of the frame has integral therewith therail-section 15,which is in alinement with the branch rail 5. the branchportion of the frame 6 are each recessed to form seats 17 to receive theends of the rails 3, 4, and 5, respectively, said seats being sosituatedthat the rail ends when secured therein by any suitable means,- as bybolts, are in alinement with the adjacent railsections. The shoe portion6 of the frame is cut away, as at 23, between the rail-sections 7 and 8,and a single switch-tongue 20, pivoted to the frame at 19, adjacent therail-section 7, alined with the main rail 3, operates in said cut-awayportion, said switch-tongue being adapted to connect said rail-section 7to either the rail-sections 8 or 15. Since the switch 20 in its twopositions is made to aline with the rail-sections 8 and 15, which areintegral with the frame, it will be seen that any twisting or warping ofthe rails 4, 5, or 3 will not in any way effect the proper action of theswitch-tongue, as would be the case if the point of the switch werebrought into alinement with the rails themselves.

The switch-tongue 20 has extending horizontally therefrom and inalinement with the under side thereof a fin or web 22, which operates tosupport the switch when it is thrown to connect with the branch rail 5,as seen in dotted lines, Fig. 3, the said fin in such position of theswitch resting upon the upper surface of the cut-away portion 23 of theshoe 6. A suitable lug 24 projects over the edge of the fin 23 andserves toproperlyguide the same, the said lug also acting as a stop tolimit the motion of the switch-point in one direction. The rail-section15 is preferably provided with a supporting-lug 25, which isadapted toreceive the end of the switch-tongue when the same is thrown to connectthe main rail with the branch rail 5, and preferably said lug will havean inclined upper surface, as shown in Fig. 7, to insure the properpositioning of the switch-tongue.

Heretofore it has been common to make the hangers integral with theswitch-frame; but with this construction the track must always be at agiven distance from the ceiling or other support, and when it wasdesired to place the switch higher or lower a special The shoe 6 and IIIO switch had to be made with a hanger of the right length. To overcomethis disadvantage, I form integral with my switch-frame a plurality ofhanger-supports, to which the lower ends of suitable hangers, which maybe ordinary strap-iron, are detachably secured, said hangers in turnbeing secured to a ceiling or other support. By thus making theswitchframe independent from the hangers it will be seen that theswitches may be placed at any desired height by simply varying thelength of the hanger used. No special construction of switch isrequired, therefore, when the switch is to be placed higher or lowerthan usual.

As illustrated, eachleg of the U-shaped yoke 14 has projecting therefroma lug 10, to which lugs the lower ends of hangers 11 are detachablysecured in any usual way, as by bolts 11, and the shoe 6 adjacent therailsection 7 has an oifset lug or hanger-support 9, to which the lowerend of another hanger 11 is similarly secured, said hangers being of anysuitable construction and being secured to the ceiling or other supportin any usual way. The lug 9 is offset, as shown, to provide room for thepassage of the carrier. The hangers 11 being very inexpensive tomanufacture may be made of any-desired length to support the switch atany desired elevation, and it isunnecessary to construct a specialswitch when the height of the switch is to be changed. This I consideras quite an important feature of my invention.

The switch-operating mechanism will now be described.

Connected to the main portion 6 of the frame and extending therefrom isa supporting-arm 21, to which the actuating-lever 26 is pivoted,saidactuating-leverbeingillustrated as a bell-crank lever and having one armthereof connected by a suitable link 27 to an eye 28 on the fin 22. Theother arm of said bell-crank lever has connected thereto the weightedhandle 29, by means of which the switch may be manually operated, andthe construction of the parts is such that when the switch is thrown toconnect the main rail 3 with the branch rail 5 the arm 26' of thebell-crank lever and the link 27 are in a substantially straight line,as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the said link at such timeengaging a stop 27"onthe arm 21, and the point of attachment between theweighted handle 29 and the arm 26 of the bell-crank leverissubstantially vertically over the pivot or fulcrum 30 of the said lever,whereby the switch is locked in such adjusted position. When the switchis in this position, the shoulder 31 on the lug or eye 28 abuts againstthe main portion 6 of the frame and acts as a stop to limit the movementof the switch in one direction, the said switch beinglocked againstmovement in the opposite direction by the link 27 and the arm 26 of thebell-crank le.

' the arm 26'? of the bell-crank lever. 35 has a nose 39, which extendsabove the crank lever 26 will be thrown into the position seen in Fig.1, and the switch will be thrown to connect the main rail with thebranch rail 4., the switch being held in such position by the weightedlever. I would here remark that when the bell-crank lever is in thedotted-line position, Fig. 2, the point of attachment between theweighted handle and the arm 26 of said lever is not exactly verticallyover the fulcrum 30, but is slightly to one side thereof, so that adownward pull upon the handle will turn the said lever, but with theparts in such dotted-line position the effective lever-arm of theweighted handle is so short that the handle will not of itself throw theswitch.

In addition to the above features my invention includes means operatedby a carrier movin g on either branch rail toward the switch to throwthe switch automatically into such a position as to connect the rail onwhich the carrier is moving with the main rail, whereby the carrierisprevented from falling through the open switch. The drawings illustrateone simple form of mechanism to accomplish this object; but as I believeI am the first to employ, in connection with a switch having a singleswitch-point, any mechanism for antomatically operating the switch bythe carrier I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown.

My preferred mechanism for automatically operating the switch comprisesa trip mech* anism adjacent each branch rail and in position to beoperated by a carrier traveling over said rail toward the switch, saidtrip being connected to the switch-tongue by connections of such aconstruction that as the trip is operated the switch-tongue is thrown toconnect said branch rail with the main rail, whereby the carrier isdirected onto the main rail and is prevented from falling through theswitch. In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated the tripdevices are for convenience pivoted to the branch rails, though it isobvious that theymay be pivoted to any other suitable support, ifdesired, pro= vided they are in a position to be operated on by acarrier as it travels toward the switch. The branch rail 5 is shown ashaving pivoted thereto the trip 35, having the offset arm 36, to which achain 37 or other flexible connection is attached, said chain passingover a guide-pulley 50, mounted on the top of the U-shaped frame 14 andbeing connected to The trip track or rail 5 and in position to beoperated upon by the wheels of a traveler or carrier moving in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 1. Assuming that the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that should the trip 35 bethus acted on by the wheels of a carrier and turned into the dotted-lineposition, Fig. 4., the arm 36 of said trip will, through the flexibleconnection 37, turn the bell-crank lever from the full-line position,

fore will be directed automatically onto the main'rail 3 andwill notdrop through the switch. Y

I The track or rail 4 has pivoted thereto a trip-lever40, saidtrip-lever having the portion 41, adapted to be operated upon by theflanges of the wheels of the carrier, and the offset portion 42,extending underneath and adapted to engage the arm 26' of thebell cranklever. If the parts are in the dottedline position, Fig. 2, with theswitch thrown to connect with the branch rail 5, and a carrier shouldback off of the branch rail 4 toward the switch, the wheels of saidcarrier will strike the inclined portion 41 of the trip 40 and swing thesame into full-line position, Fig. 2, thus giving an impulse to theactuating-lever26 and turning the same sufficiently so that the weightedhandle 29 will carry the lever into the full-line position, Fig. 2,thereby automatically throwing the switch into alinement-with the branchrail 4 and preventingthe carrier from dropping through the switch.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an overhead switchhaving asingle switchpoint in which said switch-point is automatically operatedby a carrier or traveler moving on a branch track toward the main trackto connect the main track with that branch track on which the carrier ismoving, thus preventing the carrier from falling through an open switch.

A suitable stop-lug 45 may be employed to limit the movement'of thetrip-lever 4:0, and a similar stop 46 will be used in conjunction .withthe trip 35.

The connections between the trips and the actuating-lever are such thatwheneverthe switch is thrown to connect the main rail with one branchrail the trip on the other branch rail will be brought into position tobe operated upon by the wheel of a carrier.

Instead of using a guide-pulley 38 for the flexible connection 37 I'mayemploy a lever 51, suitably connected to the stand 14, the said leverhaving connected to each end thereof flexible connections 52, which arein turn connected to the trip 35 and to the bellcrank lever 26,respectively.

The switch thus far described is of the type employed where a branchtrack diverges from a single straight track, and in a switch of thistype (known as a No. 1 switch the shoe 6 is straight and has attached toits opposite ends the two rails (3 and 4 in this instance) which formpart of the straight main track. I desire to state, however, that myinvention is equally applicable to'that form of switch wherein both thebranch rails diverge from the main rail, in which case the shoe would becurved and the main rail and one branch rail would be connected thereto,the other branch rail being connected to a separated member of the framecorresponding to 6. The invention is also equally applicable to thattype of switch known as No. 2 switch, wherein the shoe portion of theframe is curved to connect the main rail to the diverging branch rail,while the other branch rail in alinement with the main rail is attachedto a member of the frame separate from the shoe, and'in Fig. 9 I haveillustrated a switch of this type, the trip devices and other parts foroperatingthe switch being omitted to avoid confusion. In said figure therail 3 (shown partially in dotted lines) is connected to one end of theshoe member 6 of the switch-frame to aline with the rail-section 7 andsaid shoe member is bent at 90, the main body of saidshoe memberdiverging from the plane of the straight rails 3 and 4,'as shown, andhaving the diverging rail 5 secured to the other end thereof and inalinement with the rail-sec tion 8. The yoke 14: which is cast integralwith and forms part of the switch-frame, supports the branch member 6 ofthe frame having the rail-section 15 thereon and to which the rail 5 issecured. Suitable lugs 9 and 10" are pivoted for detachably securing theswitch to the hangers 11. (Shown in dotted lines.) The trip devices andhand-operated devices for controlling the switch-tongue 20 are notshown, but maybe the same as illustrated in connection with the No. 1switch.

While I have herein described one particular form in which my inventionmay be embodied, yet I desire to have it understood that my invention isnot limited in all respects to the particular form of the device hereinshown, as various changes may be made in the mechanical details of thestructure of the device without departing from the spirit of my in-Vention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In apparatus of the class described, a main rail," two branch rails,a switch to connect said main rail to either branch rail, a bell-cranklever, a link connecting one arm of said lever with the switch,wherebythe rocking of said bell-crank operates the switch, and means operatedby a carrier moving over the track to actuate said bell-crank, theconstruction being such that the link and the arm of the bell-crank towhich it is attached are in a substantially straight line when theswitch is alined with one branch rail, whereby said switch isautomatically locked in such position.

2. In an overhead switch, a single, unitary switch-frame having aplurality of rail-sections integral therewith, a switch-tongue pivotedto said frame, and adapted to connect one of said rail-sections toanyone of the other sections, rails secured to said frame in alinementwith the rail-sections respectively, and means operated by a carriermoving on said rails to actuate the switch-tongue.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a

IIC

main rail, two branch rails, a switch to connect said main rail toeither branch rail, a bell-crank lever, a link connecting one armthereof with the switch, the construction being such that the link andthe said arm are in a substantially straight line when the switch is inone extreme position, whereby the switch is automatically locked in suchposition.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rail, two branchrails, a switch to connect said main rail to either branch rail, abell-crank lever, a link connecting one arm thereof with the switch anda weighted handle connected to the other arm thereof, the link and thearm of the bell-crank lever to which it is connected being in asubstantially straight line when the switch is in one extreme positionwhereby the switch is automatically locked in such position.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rail, two branchrails, a switch to connect said main rail to either branph rail, abell-crank lover, a link connecting one arm thereof to the switch, and aweighted handle connected to the other arm thereof, the parts being soconstructed that when the switch is in alinement with one branch railthe link and the arm of the bell-crank lever to which it is attached isin a substantially straight line and the point of connection between theweighted handle and the other arm is substantially vertically over thefulcrum of the lever, and when the switch alines with the other branchrail the arm having the weighted handle attached thereto issubstantially horizontal whereby the switch is locked in'both of itsoperative positions.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rail, two branchrails, a switch to connect said main rail to either branch rail, a

bell-crank lever, a link connecting one arm thereof to the switch, aweighted handle attached to the other arm thereof, a trip connected toone branch rail, connections between said trip and said bell-crankwhereby a carrier traveling on said branch rail automatically actuatesthe trip and throws the switch, the construction of the parts being suchthat when the switch is in one extreme position the link and the arm ofthe bellcrank to which it is attached are in a substantially straightline, while in the other po-' sition of the switch the arm of thebell-crank to which the handle is attached is horizontal whereby theswitch is locked in either position.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rail, two branchrails, a switch to connect said main rail to either branch rail, abell-crank lever, a link connecting one arm thereof to said switch, aweight attached to the other arm, a trip pivoted to one branch rail andconnected to the weighted arm of said bell-crank lever, and a secondtrip connected to the other branch and adapted to engage the other armof said lever whereby a carrier traveling 011 either branch rail willactuate the switch. 7

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rail, two branchrails, a switch toconnect said main rail to either branch rail, abell-crank lever, a link connecting one arm of the latter to the switch,means to actuate said lever in one direction by a carrier traveling onone branch rail, and to actuate said lever in the opposite direction bya carrier traveling on the other branch rail, the construction beingsuch that when the switch is in one extreme position, the link and thearm of the bell-cran k to which it is attached are in alinement.

9. In an overhead-switch device, a suspended framehaving integraltherewith a plurality of diverging rail-sections, rails connected tosaid rail-sections, and a pivoted switch-tongue adapted to connect oneof said rail-sections to either of the other rail-sections.

10. In an overhead-switch device, a suspended framehavingintegraltherewithaplurality of divergent rail-sections, rails connected to saidframe and alined with the railsections, a pivoted switch-tongue toconnect one of said rail-sections to either of the other rail-sections,and means automatically operated by a carrier traveling on one of saidrails to actuate the switch.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, a suspended frame includingtwo separated members secured together by an overhanging yoke, tworail-sections integral with one member of said frame and a divergingrail-section integral with the other member thereof, rails secured tosaid frame in alinement with said rail-sections and a pivoted switch toconnect one of said rail-section's with either of the otherrail-sections.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, a suspended frame having twoseparated members rigidly connected together, one of said members havinga cut-away portion to form at each end a rail-section, and the other ofsaid members having a diverging rail-section, rails secured to saidframein alinement with the rail-sections, a switch-tongue pivoted to thefirst-named member and adapted to connect one of the rail-sectionsthereon to either of the other rail-sections.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, a suspended frame having twoseparated members rigidly connected together, one of said members havinga cut-away portion to form at each end a rail-section and the other ofsaid members having a diverging rail-section, rails secured to saidframe in alinement with the rail-sections, a switch-tongue pivoted tothe first-named member and adapted to connect one of the rail-sectionsthereon to either of the other rail'sections, said switch having ahorizontally-disposed finor web engaging the bottom of the cut-awayportion and serving as a guide and support for said switch-tongue.

14. In an overhead switch, a frame presenting a unitary structure and towhich the rails are attached, a switch-tongue pivoted to the frame andhangers detachably connected to said frame to support the same.

15. In an overhead switch, a unitary frame comprising a shoe member, anda branch member separated from the shoe member but rigid therewith, andhangers detachably connected to said frame to support the same.

16. In an overhead switch, a unitary frame to which the rails areattached, a switch- .tongue pivoted to the frame, said frame havingintegral therewith offset ears or lugs, and hangers detachably securedto said lugs.

v 17. In an overhead switch, a frame to which the rails are attached,said frame comprising a shoe member and a branch member sepa-

